Colors of The Heart
by regolithheart
Summary: A collection of post-Winter one-shots focusing on each of our favorite ships / Blue: Kiko / Yellow: Cresswell / Red: Wolflet / Green: Kaider
1. Blue: Kiko

AN: Thank you to **Cx3** and **lettered** for being such wonderful betas.

Story description: _It surprised him that an android could be so tender._

* * *

 **BLUE: KIKO**

The light streaming in from the windows made the walls turn from an icy blue to a powdery pink, then to a warm yellow. Morning was coming. This was Kinney's favorite time of day while on his shift, when the sun—the real sun—finally rose on Luna and made the shadows dance on the walls. Most of Artemisia Palace would still be asleep, but he liked hearing the quiet patter of footsteps along the carpeted corridors as servant girls began to make their morning rounds.

Sometimes he would catch a glimpse of his sister, the queen's lady-in-waiting, and he'd give her a wink. She'd sneak him a peck on the cheek before rushing off. This was one of those mornings and he smiled to himself as Emily's footsteps faded away.

The silence was interrupted by an uneven cadence coming down the hall. Not moving from his statued stance, he strained his eyes to look down the corridor and confirmed what he knew all along. A lean, dark figure was moving towards him, blue braids bouncing with each skip.

Iko halted in front of him. He could see her smile instantly morph into a scowl as she turned to face him.

"How can I assist you—" he paused as if the next words pained him to say, "Madame Counselor?"

Iko crossed her slender arms in front of her and huffed. "I am here to see Cinder. Just like I was here to see her yesterday, and the day before that, and all the days since she has been crowned Queen Selene Channary Jannali Blackburn!"

Kinney gave her a nod, a little too curtly. "Her Majesty is still in her personal chambers and has not informed me she is expecting company."

Iko's color-changing eyes flashed acid green. Gritting her teeth, she pointed a finger at him. "Listen here mister—"

The door behind Kinney cracked open and Cinder poked her head out.

"Cinder! Can you please tell Sir Kinney that I am not just any company. That I am your best friend and most trusted advisor and—"

Cinder smiled at Iko and opened the door wider to let her in. "It's okay Kinney. Iko can come and go as she pleases."

Kinney fisted a hand over his heart and nodded, hiding his scowl.

Iko huffed and stomped into Cinder's room. "That man is insufferable."

She made sure he heard her before closing the door on him.

* * *

"You two have to start getting along. I don't think I can do this if the captain of my guard and my most trusted advisor are constantly fighting." Cinder said, flopping back onto her bed.

Iko placed her hands on her hips. "He started it!"

Cinder pressed a hand to her forehead. "I'll talk to him, but you're going to have to make an effort too."

Iko huffed, sinking into a silk-clad armchair. She twirled a braid between her fingers and mumbled to herself. "How can a guy so handsome be such a jerk?!"

Cinder smiled to herself.

* * *

The gardens at Artemisia Palace were particularly empty that afternoon. Kinney figured most of the court would be at their own homes or in their rooms in the guest quarters getting ready for the evening's ball. It was the reason the queen and princess were winding their way through the gardens now.

The queen had been incredibly jittery in the week leading up to the ball. It was the first ball she was throwing, an idea she had gotten from her time living in New Beijing, a unity ball to which everyone in Artemisia was invited no matter their station. She even held lotteries for the outer sectors to be personal guests of the queen.

Kinney had suggested that a walk through the gardens might ease her nerves, reminding her that they would be empty aside from servants setting up for the party and that the view of Earth was particularly beautiful from the gardens. Queen Selene had looked at him as though she was momentarily embarrassed, but smiled warmly and nodded.

He knew that the Earthen Emperor would not be coming to the ball that evening, a decision that weighed heavily on the queen. Surprisingly, it was Iko who had put it best, reminding the queen that if this ball were for the people of Luna, then there couldn't be any Earthens in attendance, especially not one of such high ranking as Emperor Kaito.

Kinney let his thoughts linger on that moment, when Iko had held the queen's hand so gently and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It surprised him that an android could be so tender.

He heard a throat clearing next to him and he snapped to attention. Looking over, he saw Sir Jacin Clay raise an eyebrow at him. Kinney set his jaw and looked forward again. Princess Winter had joined Queen Selene that afternoon, which was why Sir Clay was standing rigidly beside him.

Kinney scanned the gardens once more and was satisfied to see that the servants were beginning to make their way back inside the palace. The garden was deserted aside from their party. The queen and princess were sitting on a nearby bench, deep in conversation. Kinney's eye caught on a flash of blue as he saw Iko softly pull his sister Emily aside.

As the queen's lady-in-waiting, Emily was practically glued to Selene's side. It was another one of the reasons why he was so happy to take on the position of personal guard to the queen. Kinney watched out of the corner of his eye as Iko took Emily's hand and made her hold it up in front of her.

Iko reached into her pocket and pulled out a blue velvet ribbon. Dangling from the ribbon was a sparkling diamond. Emily's eyes widened and Iko smiled.

"It's one of Levana's earrings. Cin—Her Majesty said I could have it and I thought you'd like it." Iko looked almost sheepish. "A friend of mine once gave me a blue ribbon."

Iko tied the ribbon around Emily's delicate wrist and knotted it with a bow. Emily twirled the diamond between her fingers. It glittered in the afternoon sun.

"I thought," said Iko, pulling out another ribbon from her pocket, the twin of Emily's diamond dangling from it, "that we could both wear ours together. Blue … for friendship."

Emily nodded enthusiastically and tied the ribbon around Iko's wrist, exactly like hers.

"Thank you, Iko! You're the best!" Emily practically squealed and pulled Iko into a fierce embrace.

When Emily pulled away, Iko smiled and flipped her braids over her shoulder. "Tell me something I don't know!"

The girls made their way to where the queen and princess sat so that Emily could show Winter her new gift. They all smiled at her, and Kinney couldn't help but smile too.

* * *

Kinney could hear the sound of laughter and clinking glasses in the distance. The guests were beginning to arrive at the palace. Scanning his eyes back and forth from corner, to corner, he made sure no one was coming down the hall before he reached up and made sure every hair on his head was in place and that the pins and medals on his guard's uniform were perfectly polished. His fingers tingled as he returned his hand to his side.

He was beginning to feel restless and he didn't know why. His thoughts wandered to the gardens that afternoon, the glimmer in Emily's eyes, the twinkling of the diamond around her wrist, the slender and graceful fingers that tied the blue ribbon …

Snapping out of his thoughts, he heard the familiar uneven steps coming down the corridor. This time, he didn't scowl. The steps fell into an even rhythm as Iko slowly came to a stop in front of him. His breath caught in his chest.

Iko was wearing a powder blue gown, the neckline low and off her shoulders, revealing her slender collarbone and warm, mocha skin. The bodice hugged her body closely, and a diamond studded sash tied at her waist. The dress's skirt clung to her hips and fell down to the floor like water, rippling at her every movement. Her blue braids were piled up into a bun and tucked into her hair was a string of white orchids, their middles blushing pink. Aside from the blue ribbon tied at her wrist, she wore no jewelry, but Kinney didn't think she needed it.

Kinney swallowed, trying to wet his throat which suddenly became too dry.

Iko lowered her eyes and lowered herself into a graceful curtsey. "Sir Kinney, you are looking very dashing this evening."

Kinney waited for the glint of sarcasm to flash across her eyes, but there was none. She looked and sounded completely sincere, and now that he thought about it, maybe she had always been sincere when she told him how handsome he looked—even when he wasn't particularly nice to her. He opened his mouth, not sure what to say, but the door opened behind him and he felt a rush of relief.

He stepped aside to let Queen Selene and Emily pass.

"Cinder! You look amazing!" Iko squealed, rushing over to pull the queen into a hug. "Sorry, sorry! Don't want to mess up your hair."

Iko released the queen and turned to Emily. "And Emily, you look gorgeous!"

Emily blushed and smoothed her hands over her pink dress. Kinney knew that Iko had shared Levana's wardrobe with her before they packaged everything up and sold it to raise money to build schools in the outer sectors. He was baffled when Emily first told him, but now that he thought about it, of course that was something Iko would do. A tingling feeling filled the pit of his stomach.

"You look beautiful, Iko." Emily's voice practically sang. "Doesn't she look beautiful, Liam?" She nudged her brother with her elbow.

"You look beautiful, Madame Counselor." Kinney fisted his hand over his heart. None of the usual edge was in his voice.

Iko smiled, looking almost flustered. She looped her arm around Queen Selene's. "Come on, Cinder. You can't be late for your own ball!"

Cinder and Emily exchanged a knowing glance that was oblivious to both Iko and Kinney before making their way down the corridor.

Kinney followed silently. He caught Iko's eye when she looked back at him. Her eyes were a deep sapphire blue—blue for friendship—but he wondered if it could possibly mean more. Hiding a smile, Iko turned forward again. Kinney adjusted his posture, standing a bit straighter than usual.


	2. Yellow: Cresswell

**YELLOW: CRESSWELL**

His fingers ached as he clutched the steering column. Biting his tongue, he made a sharp left turn, feeling the harness digging into his chest as he leaned into the maneuver.

"Good. Now, easy on the throttle as you even out," Scarlet said encouragingly next to him.

Thorne grinned at her and winked. "I got this, sweetheart."

The podship shuddered as Thorne slowed the thrusters too quickly and they both lurched forward in their seats.

"Whoops!" Thorne exclaimed, suddenly embarrassed.

Scarlet groaned, tugging at her harness. "Clearly, you don't."

"My hand cramped up!" Thorne said defensively. "It's these cyborg fingers. Maybe they need to be reprogrammed."

He held his right hand up, examining his new titanium fingers.

"Both hands on the controls!" Scarlet scolded, clutching the arms of the co-pilot seat.

"Okay, okay."

Thorne straightened in his seat and made sure he had both hands gripping the steering column as Scarlet had instructed and smiled at her, the personification of the perfect student. He thought he saw Scarlet rolling her eyes at him. He double checked their coordinates and pushed on the thrusters again, more gently this time.

Scarlet and Thorne had been away from the Rampion for nearly four days. They were delivering a shipment of the letumosis antidote to a particularly remote and mountainous region in the southern American Republic. The crew had decided that the best course of action was to leave the Rampion in Buenos Aires with Cress in charge while Scarlet and Thorne traveled from remote village to remote village with the medicine.

Thorne wasn't happy leaving Cress behind, but her wounds from the revolution were still tender and he knew she needed the rest. Besides, who else would he entrust with keeping the Rampion safe? Scarlet insisted that Wolf stay with Cress and after a growling protest and Scarlet placing her hands on her hips, he obliged. Thorne was secretly grateful for this. He wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea of standing around while Scarlet and Wolf made puppy eyes at each other all day, and he was relieved knowing that Cress wouldn't be alone.

After getting the podship into Earth's atmosphere, Scarlet suggested that Thorne do the rest of the flying so that he could get accustomed to piloting with his new cyborg fingers. He had a sneaking suspicion that she was using it as an excuse to give him flying lessons. He definitely didn't need flying lessons, but he supposed his new fingers _might_ need some getting used to and when Scarlet and Wolf eventually went back to France, Cress would be counting on him to take her around the world. Besides, he figured he could humor Scarlet after she went through the effort.

After another thirty minutes of flying, the Rampion slowly came into view. Thorne's heart clenched.

"Well, that wasn't too bad," Scarlet said.

"What are you talking about? Aside from that thruster issue, that was a perfect flight. I'm pretty sure that wasn't even my fault. We should have Cinder do a maintenance check on these podships the next time we're on Luna."

This time Thorne definitely saw Scarlet roll her eyes at him. He began entering the docking codes into the console and comm'd the Rampion.

"Rampion. This is podship one, requesting permission to dock. Code word: _Captain is King._ " Thorne smirked. He would never get tired of that.

Darla's computer voice answered almost immediately. "Docking request granted. Welcome home, Captain Thorne."

* * *

Before they even reached the hatch door, Thorne and Scarlet could hear a rumbling of laughter coming from the cockpit. They eased their way through the cargo bay and saw Cress and Wolf sitting in the pilot and co-pilot seats, respectively, laughing at something hysterically.

"What's so funny?" Thorne asked, raising his eyebrows.

Cress swiveled around in her seat. "Oh nothing." She said, brushing a tear away from her eye.

Before Thorne could investigate any further, Wolf jumped up and engulfed Scarlet in his arms.

"Scarlet," he breathed, nuzzling his face in her hair.

Scarlet playfully poked him and pulled an inch away to look at him. "What's that on your ear?"

Wolf's hand slowly came up, inspecting. Thorne spotted a bright yellow smudge of paint across the shell of his ear. Wolf glanced at Cress, conspiracy gleaming in both their eyes.

"You'll have to ask the First Mate about that. I was only following orders."

Chuckling, Wolf pulled Scarlet away, leaving Thorne and Cress alone in the cockpit.

Cress tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled at him. "Hi Captain. I've missed you."

"Cress …" Thorne breathed before taking two long strides towards her and pulled her into his arms. She smelled like lemons, and flowers, and sunshine. He cupped her face in his hands and peppered it with kisses.

Cress scrunched her nose as his lips tickled her cheeks and he chuckled before placing a tender kiss on her lips. A wave of warmth washed over him. He stood with her wrapped in his arms for just a minute longer before releasing her.

"Hey there, beautiful," he breathed.

Cress's smile brightened her whole face and Thorne couldn't help but feel the temperature in the cockpit rise. He cleared his throat.

"Hey, I've got something for you." Thorne's eyes lit up. "Stay right there!"

Thorne sporadically threw glances behind him, making sure Cress's feet were planted in the cockpit as he made his way through the cargo bay and down the hatch to the pod dock. He sprinted towards the podship and grabbed the present he had so proudly procured for her just an hour ago. He poked his head out of the hatch, spotting her as she craned her neck to look his way.

"Close your eyes!" He called out.

Cress smirked and closed her eyes.

"No peeking!" Thorne insisted.

Cress made a big show of placing her hands over her closed eyes. He walked up slowly, his hands behind him and stopped in front of her. She tapped her foot as she waited. Thorne chuckled.

"Okay. Open them."

Cress opened her eyes slowly, her gaze falling upon his face and he couldn't help but feel hypnotized by her twinkling blue eyes. He smiled his one-sided dimpled grin that he knew she loved and she smiled back at him. She slowly looked around the cockpit, trying to determine if anything was different. She made a full turn before Thorne laughed and pulled his hands out from behind his back, presenting her with a huge bouquet of white and yellow irises, the edges of their petals tinged purple.

Cress gasped. "My first bouquet of flowers!"

Thorne smiled. "Do you like them? They made me think of you. There were so many wild plants and flowers and trees that I've never even seen before! You would have loved it. You _will_ love it. When you're feeling better, I'll take you so you can see for yourself. But … I didn't want you to miss out this time. So I brought these back for you." Thorne's ears began to turn pink.

Cress flung herself into Thorne's arms, nearly crushing all of the flowers. He held her tight and squeezed.

"Thank you, Captain." She whispered in his ear and the pit of his stomach filled with warmth.

Cress pulled away and smiled broadly, slipping her hand into Thorne's.

"I have a surprise for _you_ now!"

Thorne raised an eyebrow at her. "Well then, lead the way."

"Close your eyes."

Thorne chucked, closing his eyes.

"No peeking."

Thorne let out a hearty laugh and pressed the flowers into Cress's hand before placing his free hand over his eyes. "Now you definitely need to lead the way."

Thorne felt a soft tug as Cress began to lead him down the corridor. Memories of Cress leading him through the desert returned to him immediately and his heart fluttered. He squeezed her hand and felt her squeeze back.

They walked for a while and when they finally stopped Thorne thought they might be in the galley. Cress let go of his hand, but he still clung to her fingers for as long as possible.

"Okay, you can open them."

Thorne opened his eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the bright lights of the galley. When he finally looked up he saw Cress standing in front of him, the irises in her hands, and all the walls of the galley were painted yellow. He and Cress were wrapped in sunshine.

"Cress …" Thorne breathed, "you painted my ship."

Cress bit her bottom lip and nodded. "The grey paneling was just so … sad. And I was going a little crazy. I came up with the idea and made Wolf go with me to get paint. I had to get him to paint all the tops of the walls … "

Thorne let out a laugh, picturing Cress bullying Wolf into helping her.

Cress slipped her hand into his, chewing on her bottom lip. "Well … what do you think?"

He looked down at her. Her deep blue eyes pooled with excitement and nervousness. Slowly he looked around the galley. All of the walls were painted the same sunshine yellow and he liked how it matched her hair. Crawling up the walls around the entrance were little painted green vines bursting with little painted pink flowers.

Thorned squeezed Cress's hand and looked down at her again, this time noticing the little splatters of pink paint across her face. The blush creeping up on her cheeks nearly made them disappear. He wrapped her up in his arms and breathed into her hair.

"I love it Cress."

"Really?" Her voice full of relief.

Thorne nodded. "It feels like home."

* * *

 **AN:** Thank you to **lettered** for being such an amazing beta as always and thanks for reading. Comments and likes are always appreciated.


	3. Red: Wolflet

**RED: WOLFLET**

Wolf splayed his fingers out and let them drag across the tops of the swaying blades of grass as he and Scarlet made their way to the lake beyond their woods. The fingers of his other hand were gripped around a large coil of heavy rope he had slung across his shoulder. He looked over at Scarlet who was walking beside him, carrying a large picnic basket. Despite the heat of the summer afternoon, she had her red hoodie tied around her waist.

Ahead of them, Wolf could hear the familiar laughter of children.

True to Scarlet's word, when they had returned to Benoit Farms, the neighbor's children had been afraid of Wolf to his utter dismay. But Scarlet, not being able to back down from any challenge, was determined to make them come around. She began to bribe them with baked goods from Michelle Benoit's famous recipes and when they began seeing Wolf do menial chores around the farm, they slowly began to pay more attention.

The twins in particular, who were boys nearing ten-years-old, were mostly impressed by the way Wolf chopped wood and could have watched him for hours as he split large blocks with the ease of a man swatting away a fly. They would take turns looking for the biggest logs of wood they could find, hoping they would be able to procure one that was any difficulty for Wolf, but instead of disappointment when Wolf was able to cleave each log in half, the boys would just get more excited and raced off to find a bigger log.

Their seven-year-old sister was a little harder to crack. Scarlet would make special cookies with pink frosting to lure Margaux out of her shyness, but not even those were enough to persuade her. Still, Scarlet tried. After all, she did continue to come along with her brothers every time they came over to Benoit Farms for a visit, which became much more frequent once Wolf began to teach the twins how to sneak up on the farm's stray cat and pounce on it.

Scarlet had nearly given up on swaying Margaux, but was pleasantly surprised when one afternoon, after returning from a delivery, she found Wolf and the small girl sitting side-by-side on the porch steps. Half of the girl's dark brown hair was coming out of its ponytail, strands of hay stuck out in random spots. The lose hair around her face was matted against her cheeks, wet from crying, but she was sitting next to Wolf happily eating one of Scarlet's cookies. Wolf was grinning from ear to ear. As Scarlet approached, she raised a quizzical eyebrow at Wolf before reaching over and wiping off the smear of pink frosting on his own lip.

It turned out that the twins, Henri and Jules, were taking turns jumping off the barn's loft into a large pile of hay, but when it was Margaux's turn to jump, fear took over and she stood there frozen. The boys tried to persuade her to jump, but after ten minutes of inaction, they had gotten tired of waiting and left to find something else to interest them, leaving Margaux behind. Embarrassed and alone, Margaux began to cry and Wolf had heard.

He came to her rescue and climbed up to the loft to retrieve her, but she wouldn't budge. Wolf sat down beside her tentatively. He had told her that Scarlet was the bravest girl he knew, but even she had once been scared of making a very high jump. He told her about how Scarlet climbed on his back and they made the jump together, and if Margaux wanted, she could climb on Wolf's back and he would jump with her. After a couple more sniffles and a swipe of her nose with the back of her hand, Margaux nodded.

Wolf had gotten up to a crouching position so that the girl could climb onto his back and he counted to three before he leapt off the barn's loft. Margaux had tightened her tiny arms around Wolf's neck and squealed into his ear. They landed in the hay with a big poof and when Wolf grabbed Margaux's hand to pull her out, she didn't let go of his until they made it back to the farmhouse's kitchen and he handed her a cookie.

* * *

Wolf tugged at the rope hard, making sure his intricate knot held firm. He turned to Scarlet looking nervous.

"Are you sure about this?"

Scarlet smiled at him, eyes twinkling with excitement. "Positive!" She winked at the children standing next to her as they giggled uncontrollably.

Wolf still looked nervous.

Scarlet smiled at him reassuringly. "Come on, I'll go first!"

She pulled her loose t-shirt off her body and slipped her shorts down, revealing a bright red halter top, two-piece swimsuit. Wolf swallowed. Scarlet smirked. She practically skipped up the slope of the boulder Wolf was standing on. She gripped the rope Wolf just hung from the branch of a gigantic tree and pulled it back. She took a deep breath and looked back at Wolf who was now standing next to the children at the bottom of the rock. Scarlet winked at them before running forward, leaping into the air and letting go.

Her body floated in the air for a split second and Wolf's heart lurched up to his throat. She shrieked with laughter as she came soaring down and splashed into the sparkling water below. The kids next to him whooped and hollered and began to argue with each other over who got to go next.

Scarlet's head emerged from the lake, water droplets clinging to her lashes, and her fiery hair matted against her neck and shoulders. Wolf's whole body tingled. No amount of water could extinguish this flame.

"Come on! What are you waiting for?" she called out to them.

Henri was already scampering up the boulder, Jules close on his heels. The boys dropped into the lake, one right after the other, laughing wildly as they emerged out of the water.

"Hurry Margaux! It's your turn!" the twins called to their sister.

Margaux looked up nervously at Wolf. He had not realized her small hand slipped into his while they watched the boys jump. He squeezed it reassuringly.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Wolf whispered to her.

She bit her lip, looking from the rope to her cheering brothers and back.

Wolf chuckled softly, pulling Margaux up the boulder with him. He turned and kneeled down in front of her.

"How about I go first, and then I'll be in the water to catch you?"

Margaux's eyes lit up and she nodded.

Wolf smiled and poked her nose softly. She giggled and stepped back as he slipped his shirt off, readying himself. He looked over to Scarlet, still treading water, amusement on her face.

Wolf grabbed the rope and for the hundredth time, tugged it firmly, making sure it was secure. He looked back at Margaux who gave him a reassuring wave and squeaked.

"Good luck."

Wolf flung himself off the boulder, letting out an involuntary whoop as he soared in the air. He let go of the rope and dove into the water, barely making a splash. He could hear the chatters of awe from the twins even before his head broke the surface.

Scarlet swam over to him, smiling broadly. "Are you sure you haven't done this before?"

He shook the water from his hair, almost hound-like and grinned wildly, showing his sharp canines. He pulled her close and gave her a fierce kiss before letting go.

Scarlet's blush washed over her, almost as red as her swimsuit. She turned towards the boulder and looked up, calling out to Margaux.

Margaux bit her lip as she walked up to the rope, grabbing it. She looked over at Wolf who swam closer, making sure she knew he was there. He smiled at her and she nodded her head with resolve. She walked backwards a few steps and before any of them realized it, she bolted forward and was flying in the air.

Everyone cheered as Margaux splashed into the water and when she resurfaced, she swam directly to Scarlet and Wolf and yelled loudly about how she had done it. Scarlet grabbed the girl's arms and swung her around in the water. Both of their giggles and squeals made Wolf's skin tingle.

They took turns jumping in the water the rest of the afternoon. Wolf even managed to perform a perfect backflip directly off the boulder. If the kids hadn't already been won over by him, they certainly would have been after that.

When they got tired of swimming, the twins went off looking for beetles and worms near the woods while Margaux sat on the bank of the lake, building a castle out of gathered twigs and leaves. Wolf was more than happy to stay with Scarlet in the water. They raced each other, took turns to see who could hold their breath the longest, floated on the surface, and had splash fights when things got too quiet.

The sun began to lower, and they all gathered around a picnic blanket that Scarlet laid out and had their fill of turkey and brie sandwiches with thick slices of tomatoes and Benoit Farms strawberries for desert. Wolf loved how the strawberries stained Scarlet's lips and he had to fight the urge to lunge at her and kiss her all over.

Wolf leaned back on one arm, stomach full and content. The summer sun was setting now and it left fiery red streaks in the sky. He looked down at his lap, smiling. Shivering from the evening's cool air, Scarlet had zipped up her hoodie and curled up next to him, her head in his lap.

A sunbeam broke through the trees and lit Scarlet's hair like wild fire. Hints of copper and gold twinkled at him. He couldn't help but twirl his fingers around a strand of curls and watched how the light made it look even more like fire. Wolf thought Scarlet's hair must be the same exact color of his heart—all hot and burning and intense. He brushed a curl away from her forehead and she smiled at him before he leaned down to kiss her.

A small pitter-patter was coming towards them and Wolf looked up to see Margaux with two delicate flower crowns in her hands. She plopped down next to Scarlet and showed them what she had made. Scarlet's eyes lit up as the little girl laid a crown of red poppies onto her hair.

"Do you want me to put that on for you?" Scarlet asked Margaux, pointing to the second crown.

Margaux shook her head. "It's for Wolf!"

Scarlet tried to hide her smile as Wolf's face flushed. Margaux got up on her knees so that she could reach the top of Wolf's head. He eyed the flower crown in her small hands—red flowers bright against her pale skin—but after seeing the look of anticipation in her big, brown eyes, he tilted his head down and allowed her to lay the circle of flowers on top of his unruly hair. Margaux beamed.

Wolf looked over at Scarlet whose grin was just as wide as the girl's.

"It suits you."

* * *

 **AN:** Big thanks to **ecntrixx** for being my beta on this one-shot and thanks for reading. Comments and likes are always appreciated.


	4. Green: Kaider

**GREEN: KAIDER**

A pair of swallows flew by, passing her as they dipped left and right and soared high before swooping down again. Cinder watched them, almost entranced. They looked like they were following some complicated dance sequence, a summer waltz only they knew the steps to. They reminded her of the first time she danced a waltz; her wet hair clinging to her neck, a shimmery silver dress stained with grease and dirt, but wrapped in the arms of an emperor nonetheless. She smiled to herself and knew she would be blushing if her cybernetics would have allowed it.

It was early in the afternoon and the sun was still high in the sky. Most of the palace's residences were indoors or lounging underneath one of the many pergolas scattered throughout the gardens, seeking solace from the heat. But Cinder didn't mind it, or the harsh light that came with it.

She never thought it would happen, especially after suffering from the almost unbearable heat in Farafrah, but after living on Luna for several months, she missed the intensity of the sun on Earth. The day lamps on Luna cast everything in a faint blue light, and when the sun finally shone down on them, the temperature controlled domes never climbed above an annoyingly comfortable 74 degrees. It almost drove Cinder mad.

Even the foliage on Luna looked grey and dull compared to the lush greenery currently surrounding her. She particularly liked the large Japanese Maple that sat just beyond one of the covered gazebos, accessible only by a small wooden bridge stretching across a babbling stream. Its weeping green leaves offered the best privacy screen, and when they swished with the breeze, it muffled the noise of the crowded gardens. It was Cinder's favorite spot in all of the gardens, but not today. Today she wanted sunshine.

She sat down on the ledge of a small koi pond, turning her face towards the sun. She closed her eyes and let her skin soak up the warmth. Even though it was early spring, Cinder could feel a bead of sweat roll down her temple. She brushed it away and sighed contently. She had only arrived on Earth the day before, there in New Beijing for a conference with the Earthen leaders to discuss the progress of the letumosis eradication.

Cinder knew that she could simply have attended the meeting via netscreens and d-comms, but Kai had asked her to come and, eager to have an excuse to see him in the flesh, she jumped at the opportunity. She was also looking forward to having some time to herself. The only people she allowed with her on this trip were Iko and Kinney, and as soon as she had stepped foot into New Beijing Palace, she dismissed them.

They had put up a good fight. Kinney was determined not to leave her side and argued that he would not allow anyone on Earth to say that the Lunars let their queen roam around unaccompanied like a heathen. Cinder had snorted at that comment, which had made Kinney even more determined to shadow her. Luckily, Iko intervened and explained to Kinney that Cinder was entirely capable of taking care of herself. She _did_ start a revolution and overthrow a tyrant, after all.

It wasn't until Iko laid a gentle hand onto Kinney's arm that he finally gave in, but only after Cinder promised that she would allow the both of them to accompany her on any official business. She was almost afraid she would see him the next morning standing guard outside her door, but when she peeked out, the only thing she saw was a servant droid in its nook a few feet down the corridor. She had not seen either Kinney or Iko all morning and as she sat in the sun, eyes still closed, she thought about where they could have been and wondering if they were together. A smile spread across her face.

"I hope that smile means you're thinking about me," said a familiar voice right before a shadow fell over her.

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Your Imperial Majesty, but I was thinking about my handsome personal guard." She cracked one eye open to see Kai purse his lips and couldn't help but let out a laugh.

Kai frowned, but his chocolate brown eyes twinkled. "I hope you know that it isn't polite to tease the _Emperor_ of the Eastern Commonwealth." He let out a dramatic sigh, "but seeing as you're a queen in your own right, I'll let this one slide."

Cinder smirked. "How magnanimous of you."

This time it was Kai's turn to smirk. He reached down and gingerly picked up Cinder's right hand raising it to his lips. He bowed his head low and brushed the softest peck across her knuckles. "Your Majesty."

Cinder was almost knocked over from the flood of warmth that washed over her. It had been far too long since she saw Kai, touched him, and felt him touch her. Now that he was standing in front of her she couldn't imagine letting him go. She practically jumped up and flung herself into his arms. Kai laughed as he stumbled back, catching her and wrapping his arms around her waist. She felt his strong arms under the thin silk of her blouse and every nerve in her body tingled.

Cinder cupped his face in her hands and kissed him deeply, grateful that the gardens were empty, but also not really caring if anyone saw. After being queen of Luna for several months, she had quickly gotten over her modesty. Kai kissed her back, just as deeply, just as hungrily, until he finally had to pull away.

"Stars. Cinder, you're going to give me a burn," he said rubbing his right cheek; the one that Cinder's titanium hand was pressed against. "How long have you been sitting out in the sun?"

Before Cinder could pull her hand away, he smiled and held her titanium hand in both of his. He pulled her close again and kissed her forehead sweetly before tugging her forward.

"Follow me," he whispered, mischief sparkling in his eyes.

Cinder raised an eyebrow, but let Kai lead her forward. A smile crept up on her when she realized where he was taking her. It was still early spring and red and pink blossoms barely clung to its branches, but the Japanese Maple tree was unmistakable. Cinder squeezed Kai's hand and felt him squeeze back as he led her across the wooden bridge.

They settled themselves on a low stone bench hidden under the gazebo and Kai turned to Cinder. He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face, but instead of letting it go, he twirled it around his fingers.

"Hi." His voice was almost breathless.

"Hi," Cinder replied almost as dreamily. She couldn't resist placing her fingertips on his lips—his soft lips that were tinged pink from their fierce kiss just moments before.

Kai chuckled and kissed her fingertips tenderly.

"I have something for you," he said, reaching into his coat pocket.

Cinder tensed when she saw him pull out a flat, square box, its polished wood surface gleaming. Kai bit his bottom lip nervously and cleared his throat.

"This necklace has been in the Imperial family for hundreds of years. It belonged to my mother. I've been thinking of her a lot lately … and of you. I want you to have it because I can't imagine anyone else but you wearing it." Kai's eyes were fixed on the box. "I wanted you to have something of me up there, when I can't be with you. And maybe … if you want it to be, it can be a promise."

Kai's ears turned pink before he stammered, "I mean, not _that_ promise … unless you want it to be?" He looked up, almost hopeful.

Cinder reached over and placed her hand gently against Kai's cheek and he relaxed. After a moment's hesitation, he let out a breath and slowly opened the box. Nestled in a bed of red velvet was a necklace made of carved jade beads interspersed with tiny gold fasteners. Breathless, Cinder ran her human fingers delicately over the beads. Some beads had petals of chrysanthemums and lotuses carved into their surface while others had images of rams, tortoises, and dragons, and some beads remained untouched, a streak of white jade veining its only decoration.

"Kai … I—"

"I want you to have it." Kai interrupted, clutching Cinder's titanium hand in his.

Cinder looked at him and smiled slowly, nodding. Kai's face washed with relief and his eyes twinkled with excitement. He reached down to lift the jade necklace out of its velvet bed and Cinder turned, pulling her hair aside. She felt the weight of the necklace resting on her chest and the coolness of the jade beads through the thin cream silk of her dress. She couldn't help but smile when she turned around to face him.

Kai's eyes fell on the necklace and Cinder watched as his eyes misted. He pulled her close and kissed her, pouring every ounce of his affection into the gesture. Cinder could feel herself melting under Kai's touch, but before she could reach up and run her hands through his hair, someone cleared their throat making the two teenagers jump in surprise.

"Your Majesties." Konn Torin said, bowing stiffly. "The meeting is about to begin."

Cinder stood up, making sure her hair was still in place, and flicked her eyes momentarily towards Torin. She was surprised to see him trying to hide a smile.

"Thank you, Torin. We were just on our way. Can you please make sure this box makes it to Cin—Queen Selene's room?" Kai said as he adjusted his shirt, then pressed the box into Torin's hand.

"Of course, Your Majesty." Torin bowed again, stepping aside to let Cinder and Kai pass.

Cinder attempted a curtsey and surprised herself when she didn't wobble—maybe the necklace had been infused with the grace of all the empresses before her. The silly thought was a comfort. Kai smiled at her and pulled her in front of him. He brushed her hair away from her face one more time, and looked at her, his eyes flickering from her eyes, to her lips, to the necklace and back up. He gave Cinder one more peck on the lips before slipping his hand into hers.

They made their way back through the gardens, walking hand-in-hand and Cinder couldn't help but notice how the loose cherry blossoms danced in the breeze in front of them, how the orange and black koi fish splashed in their ponds, and how the tall stalks of bamboo swayed as she walked pass them. If it was even possible, everything seemed even more vivid than before.

Cinder's hand absentmindedly reached for the jade beads, fingering them delicately. While she wasn't exactly sure what sort of promise Kai was making to her, she knew that she wanted to make the same for him.

* * *

 **AN:** Thanks to **_magic on fingertips_** for beta'ing this one-shot. And a big thanks to all the readers for sticking with this thing. I'm done for now and I hope you enjoyed the ride. Reviews and likes are always appreciated!


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